China was to begin a series of military exercises around Taiwan on Thursday in response to Pelosi’s visit, some of which were to take place within the island’s 12 nautical miles of sea and air territory, according to the defense ministry in Taipei. This has never happened before and a senior ministry official described the potential move as “a sea and air blockade of Taiwan”. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, said on Thursday that its differences with the self-ruled island were an internal matter. read more “Our punishment for the hardliners who support Taiwan’s independence from outside forces is reasonable, legal,” China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said. China’s Xinhua News Agency reported that the drills, which include live-fire exercises, will be held in six areas affecting Taiwan and will begin at 04:00 GMT. On Wednesday night, hours after Pelosi left for South Korea, unidentified aircraft, possibly drones, flew over the Kinmen Islands region, Taiwan’s defense ministry said. read more Major General Chang Zone-sung of the army’s Kinmen Defense Command told Reuters the drones came in pairs and flew over the Kinmen area twice on Wednesday night at about 9 p.m. (13:00 GMT). and 10 p.m “We immediately fired flares to give warnings and chase them away. After that they turned around. They entered our restricted area and that’s why we dispersed them,” he said. The heavily fortified Kinmen Islands are located just off the southeast coast of China, near the city of Xiamen. The defense ministry also said its website was cyber-attacked and temporarily taken offline late Wednesday night, adding that it was working closely with other authorities to strengthen cyber security as tensions with China rise. read more Pelosi, the highest-ranking US visitor to Taiwan in 25 years, praised its democracy and pledged American solidarity during her brief stop, adding that Chinese anger could not stop world leaders from traveling there. China summoned the US ambassador to Beijing and suspended several agricultural imports from Taiwan. Security in the area around the US embassy in Beijing remained unusually tight on Thursday as it has been this week. Although Chinese social media users have vented their anger at Pelosi, there have been no signs of major protests or calls for boycotts of American products.
“WILL NOT LEAVE TAIWAN”
Taiwan scrambled aircraft on Wednesday to warn off 27 Chinese aircraft in its air defense zone, the island’s defense ministry said, adding that 22 of them crossed the median line separating the island from China. read more Pelosi arrived with a congressional delegation on her unannounced but closely watched visit late Tuesday, defying repeated warnings from China and amid a sharp deterioration in US-China relations. “Our delegation came to Taiwan to make it clear that we will not abandon Taiwan,” Pelosi told Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, whom Beijing suspects is pushing for formal independence – a red line for China. read more “Now more than ever, America’s solidarity with Taiwan is vital, and that is the message we bring here today.” China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring it under its control. The United States and Group of Seven foreign ministers warned China against using the visit as a pretext for military action against Taiwan. “Unfortunately, Taiwan has been prevented from participating in global meetings, most recently the World Health Organization, due to objections from the Chinese Communist Party,” Pelosi said in a statement issued after her departure. “While they may prevent Taiwan from sending its leaders to world forums, they cannot prevent world leaders or anyone from traveling to Taiwan to honor its thriving democracy, highlight its many successes, and reaffirm our commitment for continued cooperation,” Pelosi added. . read more Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Report by Yimou Lee. Additional reporting by Tony Munroe. Written by Raju Gopalakrishnan. Editing: Simon Cameron-Moore Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
